Daniel Scarpinato

In just about a month, Speedway may finally have a shot at living up to its name.

After years of ignoring a disastrous situation, city officials have given the green light to installing a left turn arrow at the intersection of North Park Avenue and East Speedway Boulevard.

And hopefully, the addition will signal a host of improvements for campus area roads.

Right now, the question is, "What the hell took so long?"

The UA has been pleading since 1986 for the light, and a handful of student bureaucrats have fallen short of zealous campaign promises to get us the signal.

For those of us who aren't traffic experts, it turns out that city planners work with formulas, and the City of Tucson has some math that justifies a left-turn signal. In the case of Park and Speedway, the arithmetic just didn't add up.

But let's get real. It doesn't take a master's degree or sophisticated long division to see the imminent danger in ignoring traffic congestion at what has become a major campus intersection.

Anyone who's been through the intersection knows the deal. Sometimes you wait for 15 minutes just to make a turn. Usually when you get to the front of the line, getting through involves putting your life at risk and gunning it on a red light.

Then there's always the first-timer who doesn't seem to realize that if they don't turn on the red light, they'll be trapped in the middle of the assault battlefield.

And if you're on foot the danger multiplies, with pedestrians dodging cars and running to make it through lights.

Whether you travel by vehicle or foot, when you make it onto Park Avenue, the journey is even more terrifying.

See, UA's traffic woes don't stop at Speedway. Park Avenue has been a disaster for years.

Just like the Park and Speedway intersection, Park Avenue as a whole is operating on old, outdated traffic principles. As the campus has expanded its borders and population, the street has remained in a time capsule.

The lack of attention is causing stacked traffic that poses two problems. One, the avenue is inefficient and leads to angry, aggravated drivers, not to mention an unattractive environment. And two, the congestion has created a potential pedestrian killing field.

On Park Avenue it's every man for himself.

And the problem is going to get much worse ÷ and fast.

The district west of Park Avenue is the site of major changes. Forget about Rio Nuevo, this is the new downtown.

The Marshall Foundation took the lead first with the major redevelopment of University Boulevard. This includes shops, restaurants, bars, offices and a major hotel.

Now, add to that a larger Park Student Union, new dorms and two gigantic parking garages ÷ not to mention an upscale five-story urban housing complex complete with an underground parking garage and street level retail pads that might soon replace Bank One. This isn't student housing, this is grown-up housing, which will bring even more people into the area.

All that's great. The UA's west side might be the only place in Tucson with a market for an urban environment. But if the city and the university think that Park Avenue can stay as is with all these new neighbors, then they're out of their minds.

Luckily, David Duffy, director of campus and facilities planning, has the right idea. He wants to create a game plan with the city to address congestion on the street.

Hopefully, he does just that.

And while Duffy's idea to re-model the street with an emphasis on pedestrians, not vehicles, is bold, aggressive and much needed, ultimately the city must step in and do the dirty work.

If planners wait until the area is redeveloped, Park Avenue will pose more of a danger than ever, and private developers could very well opt out of setting up shop in such a messy situation.

Daniel Scarpinato is a journalism and political science senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.